PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Trea Turner shouted for his booze-soaked Phillies teammates to clear a path — the clouds of smoke fashioned from puffs of his celebratory cigar definitely opened a gap — as he rode into the clubhouse on a platform truck additionally stacked with instances of beer.
Hoodie up, googles on, Turner jumped and splashed into the swill of beer and bubbly that sopped the clubhouse ground, the All-Star shortstop able to crash the bash that had circled him.
The Phillies are used to the social gathering, although this one got here with a twist — for the first time in 13 years, they're headed to the postseason as NL East champs.
Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto went deep. Phillies followers went wild. And pitcher Aaron Nola supplied a style of simply how nice it could really feel for your complete franchise if Philly went all the way in which.
The Phillies received the NL East for the first time since 2011, clinching the division title with a 6-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Monday evening.
“That was our main goal in spring training, to win the division and get that first-round bye,” slugger Bryce Harper mentioned. “Do all the things we can to kind of set us up for the postseason. The division was the first thing.”
The Phillies had rolled tarp pinned above clubhouse locker stalls earlier than the sport, a acquainted protecting sight for the bottle-popping forward for a group that’s made the playoffs every of the previous three seasons beneath supervisor Rob Thomson.
They went wild moments after Carlos Estévez retired Michael Busch on a flyball to finish the sport. Phillies gamers swarmed one another in pleasure on the infield. The Phillie Phanatic stormed the celebration waving a 2024 flag as followers stood and filmed all of it.
“We know there’s a really big picture ahead of us,” Schwarber mentioned earlier than the sport. “Winning the division is a big thing. If we go out there and do our thing tonight, it’s going to be well deserved. It’s not an easy division to win. It’s never been an easy division to win. It definitely will be a cool thing.”
Oh, it was cool in Philly for an introduced sellout crowd of 42,386, with temperatures in the 60s — a sneak peek of October climate.
That fits this squad simply tremendous.
With a postseason berth already clinched final week, Schwarber, Harper, Turner & Co. earned the franchise’s twelfth division championship — and have their sights set on the highest seed in the National League playoffs.
The Phillies (93-64) maintain the No. 2 spot simply behind the Los Angeles Dodgers (93-63) and would earn a first-round bye ought to the standings maintain.
“The biggest things for me, really, are winning the division and getting the bye,” Thomson mentioned. “If we get home field throughout, that’s a bonus. But I won’t put our players in danger to get there.”
The Phillies have two video games left towards the Cubs and shut the season with a three-game set in Washington.
With playoff appearances now the norm for these Phillies, maybe the inevitability of all of it stored some followers dwelling. After promoting out sport after sport throughout a sensational season, there have been pockets of empty seats at Citizens Bank Park, which topped 3.2 million in attendance.
Thomson as soon as mentioned a rival coach advised him a playoff sport in Philly was “four hours of hell.”
“I feel like it’s the best atmosphere in sports,” All-Star reliever Jeff Hoffman mentioned. “It feels like it’s 50,000 vs. nine. It’s always a good feeling when you step on the field.”
Phillies followers have been greeted by “CLINCHED” on the videoboard outdoors Citizens Bank Park, whereas the principle entrance featured Harper and Nola because the anchor images on a “Make More HISTORY” banner.
“Being able to come home and do it here, in front of the best fans of baseball, in front of a fanbase that showed out for us each night, it was just a lot of fun,” Harper mentioned.
Philadelphia ended Atlanta’s run of six consecutive NL East titles and is attempting to complete with the main leagues’ greatest file and home-field benefit all through the postseason.
Seeking their third World Series championship following titles in 1980 and 2008, the Phillies overtook Atlanta for the division lead on May 3 and haven’t trailed since.
Philadelphia received 5 straight NL East titles from 2007-11, then went 10 years with out making the playoffs. A wild-card entry every of the previous two postseasons, the Phillies put collectively consecutive October runs that ended in heartbreak.
They reached the 2022 World Series, dropping to Houston in six video games, and dropped a seven-game NL Championship Series to Arizona final 12 months after main the underdog Diamondbacks 2-0 and 3-2.
The path to this division title was a bit messy after the group raced to the perfect 50-game begin in the majors since Seattle in 2001. The Phillies slumped in the summer season, and returned dwelling this week from a 2-5 journey towards Milwaukee and the New York Mets.
Both are groups the Phillies may face in October.
It appeared becoming the 31-year-old Nola was on the mound for the clincher. Nola was a first-round draft decide by the Phillies in 2014, debuted the following 12 months and has been with them his complete profession. He’s been one in every of baseball’s most reliable pitchers — a worthwhile commodity with the trendy stress on huge league bullpens.
Nola helped Philadelphia secure a wild card final 12 months, then went 3-1 with a 2.35 ERA in 4 playoff begins. He made 5 postseason begins in 2022, going 2-2 with a 4.91 ERA.
Nola solely briefly examined the free-agent market final offseason earlier than signing a $172 million, seven-year deal to stay with the Phillies.
His reward — one other postseason alternative to convey dwelling a World Series title now 16 years in the making.
“I think that says a lot about our club. We stayed hungry after the losses in the World Series and the CS last year,” Nola mentioned. “We hope we can keep that going.”
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